


Curiosity

by transtobio



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daycare, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-24 18:19:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7518373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transtobio/pseuds/transtobio
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daycare worker Kuroo Tetsurou won't admit to having favorites, but its obvious he prefers the Sawamura family. <i>Especially<i> the older brother...</i></i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Curiosity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [catbear (bluedreaming)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluedreaming/gifts).



> Hi there! Your prompt was pretty open-ended which just gave me an excuse to go with a pairing I've been meaning to write for a while. You mentioned that you love au's too, and I _love _writing au's.__  
>  Hope you enjoy it!!

Kuroo Tetsurou was a hard working man. He juggled university, work, and an internship before graduating with honors, _all_  while keeping an active social life. Getting a job months after graduating was just the icing on the cake. People could scoff at his Child Psychology and Science degree all they want, he _still_  ended up getting hired before them.

However, just because he was a hard worker didn't mean he liked to work overtime, and overtime was what he was working at the current moment. He sighed as he looked out the window, admiring the sunset that was just barely visible over the towering skyscrapers.

Kuroo's shift had been over an hour ago, and yet he was still stuck at work, unable to do anything but make sure a kid doesn't stick crayons up his nose. Again. Or climb the stacked chairs in an attempt to reach the toys that had been taken away for the day. _O_  have an accident-wait that was a dark haired kid, the child he was currently watching had orange hair.

Speaking of the kid... Kuroo glanced around the room, which was dimly lit as he hadn't gotten up to switch on the lights yet. The kid didn't complain, so he figured there was no harm in sitting in this dull sunlight, seeing as how the child's parent should get here any time. Hopefully.

At least the kid was playing by himself and not bothering Kuroo. He loved his job, but if one more kid asked him why his hair looked so wild he was going to pull his hair _out_. It was bad enough the parents asked _him_  those questions, he didn't need the children bringing up such a sensitive topic.

Just five minutes ago, this kid was running around the room, asking if he can get such and such toy out to show "Dai-nii" and "When is Dai-nii picking me up, Kuroo-sensei?" Kuroo could do little more than pat the kids head and insist that his brother would be there soon. Too bad his brother wasn't picking up the phone, so Kuroo could offer little more than empty comforts.

The kid's name was Shouyou, he remembered all of a sudden. "What are you making, Shouyou-kun?" Kuroo asked.

Shouyou didn't respond, and Kuroo tried saying his name again to get his attention. "Shouyou-kun." Still he didn't answer, nor would he look at Kuroo. He seemed immersed in building some sort of tower, although it was beginning to look more precarious by the minute.

Kuroo was about to say his name again when the tower collapsed suddenly, and Shouyou burst into tears. "Is-is Dai-nii here yet?" Shouyou sniffled, and Kuroo realized he was still thinking about his brother. "What if he forgets to pick me up? Dai-nii is _never_  this late."

Kuroo felt sorry for the kid. It wasn't _his_  fault his brother was late, nor was it his fault that Kuroo had to be stuck here overtime to make sure he wasn't alone.

He walked the short distance between the window and the play area, and squatted down in front of crying boy. Kuroo figured the best way to get Shouyou to stop crying would be to distract him, especially since Shouyou was the type of kid to get distracted easily.

"It'll be okay Shouyou-kun, why don't you show me how you made that tower while we wait?" Shouyou dried his eyes, which were red but otherwise dry. "O-Okay," Shouyou picked up a red block and placed it in front of himself, to the side of the mess he had just made.

"You're only using orange blocks," Kuroo noticed after a minute. "Is that your favorite color?"

"Yeah!" Shouyou answered happily, placing a block in a rather precarious position. "Stupid Tobio thinks black is the best, but orange is sooo much better."

Kuroo chuckled. "Orange is pretty good, but red is my favorite."

"Really?" Shouyou seemed thrilled by this information, and his eyes got wide as the man nodded.

Kuroo put a hand over his mouth to muffle his giggles. Kids really did get impressed over the smallest things.

"Red is a good color too! It looks a lot like orange." Shouyou said, grabbing a red block and placing it on top of the tower.

Kuroo smiled slightly at that. "That's because red is one of the colors you need to make orange."

"What's the other color?"

"Yellow. If you mix them, you get orange." Kuroo pat the top of Shouyou's head, surprised to find out his hair felt like dandelion fluff. What was it with every kid having soft hair? "Try mixing them next time you do painting."

"Awesome!" Shouyou was such an easy kid to distract. "When's the next time we're doing painting?"

Kuroo was about to answer, but realized he didn't know. "I'm not watching your group for a while, so you'll have to ask Yaku-sensei."

" _Fine_ ," Shouyou pouted, but perked up. "D'you think if I ask him nicely we can paint tomorrow?"

"Maybe kid, its worth a shot." Kuroo resisted the urge to fluff Shouyou's hair again, and instead smiled.

He was surprised to hear the daycare door open, and looked to see someone huffing and nearly bent over. "S-Sorry I'm late Shouyou."

The child's face brightened instantly, and Kuroo was surprised to see Shouyou launch himself at the man. "Dai-nii! You came!!"

"Of-Of course I came, Shouyou." The man (Dai-nii?) said, still trying to catch his breath. It was obvious he had ran to get here, and any anger towards the man Kuroo had disappeared when their eyes met.  
Kuroo liked to think he'd been with attractive people before, but none of them compared to this guy. He was _gorgeous_. Shouyou's brother may have been of average height and build but he pulled off a suit impressively. His most stunning feature, though, was his eyes. The moment their eyes met Kuroo knew this man was unique. He had a sort of fire in his eyes, one that didn't burn brightly, but simmered quietly. It made Kuroo feel strong, warm, and intimidated all at once, and he felt himself start to smile.

Just like that, the moment was broken, and Kuroo watched as the man picked up Shouyou and propped him on a hip. "Sorry for being late, the station was crowded and I ended up missing the first train."

"Its no problem," Kuroo felt himself saying, and he bit his lip before starting to clean up the blocks. "I'm Kuroo Testurou, one of the workers here."

The man rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, I'm Sawamura Daichi. Thank you for looking after Shouyou."

"Don't worry, it's my job to watch him." Kuroo said, waving a hand dismissively. "If you're having issues getting to here on time, though, you should probably ask your mom to pick him up instead."

"Ah, she's not in the picture." Daichi said blandly. "Neither is my father."

Kuroo felt himself turn red, and he coughed. "S-sorry for assuming."

Daichi hiked Shouyou up on his hip as he started to fall, and simply said. "Its fine, you're not the first to think that."

"Kuroo-sensei!" Shouyou said immediately afterwards, talking in a surprisingly loud voice. "Are we going to have melon pan tomorrow?"

"... I'll have to talk to Yaku-sensei about that," Kuroo said after a moment, remembering that he had been temporarily banned from snack duty. Too bad most preschoolers couldn't handle a lava cake.

"Okay!" Shouyou seemed to take that as a yes, and held onto Daichi tightly as he started to fall again. What a wriggly kid.

"We'll be off now," Daichi said after a moment, making eye contact with Kuroo again. "Thank you for looking after Shouyou."

He spoke with such honesty and sincerity that Kuroo was immediately flabbergasted. "Ah, its no problem! Really! Just... doing my job."

"Still, thank you." Daichi smiled, and turned to leave.

Kuroo watched him go, still surrounded by orange blocks and view darkened by the setting sun.

He hoped to see Daichi again soon.

 

  
Two weeks later, Kuroo had seen neither hide nor hair of Daichi. This was unsurprising, considering daycare he worked at was moderately sized. Plus, he usually worked with kids younger than Shouyou, not older. He was the regular substitute for Shouyou's group as well as the worker who stayed overtime the most. Despite all this, though, he had yet to run into Daichi again. He couldn't help holding onto a small sliver of hope that he'd see the man again.

Kuroo saw Shouyou often enough, since he was regularly substituting for a worker on maternity leave. Shouyou seemed fairly attached to him, too, always coming up to him and asking him to play. Kuroo often indulged the small child, despite feeling exhausted after the play. At least more kids loved him than Yaku, he always gave them small candies and let them play outside five minutes longer. That was something he held over the shorter man every time they worked shifts together, and he could tell from the gritted teeth that Yaku hated it.

Kuroo smothered a laugh as he watched the kids, fully aware of how petty that was for him. He was a man of few pleasures, however, and one of them happened to be lording accomplishments over long-time friends.

Speaking of friends... Kuroo looked at the clock on the wall, and realized it was his break time. If he was quick, he could go ask Kai to join him for drinks later. That was another competition he had with a friend, although Kai was considerably less competitive than Yaku. It didn't help that he always won, but this time Kuroo was _determined_  to drink more than Kai. He had to win at least once.

Kuroo waved to the woman on duty, gesturing to the door. She got what he was saying and nodded, and Kuroo made his escape. The last time he _said_  he was taking a break, half the kids started clinging to his pants and begged him not to leave. He never realized toddlers had such exceptional, situational hearing. They _never_  listened that well when it was clean up time.

Kuroo wandered down the halls, hands itching for his cigarettes but no, he would wait this time. Smoking near the building was risky anyways, especially since he wasn't technically  _allowed_  to. He went up the stairs near the front desk, walking quietly as not to disturb the people working. The upstairs was where the offices were held, though they were usually occupied by parents during meetings than actual workers. Despite the vacancy, however, kids weren't even supposed to _be_ up here, and most of them didn't even realize there was an upstairs.

Just as he had that thought, however, Kuroo heard the clumsy steps of a child. He turned around him, ready to catch the misbehaving kid, only to see Shouyou running towards him. "Kuroo-sensei!" The small child wailed, and Kuroo didn't react fast enough to catch him so Shouyou slammed into his legs instead.

The impact stunned both Kuroo and Shouyou, and Kuroo picked him up to see if there was any injuries. Thankfully, though, there wasn't, although Shouyou had a few tears simply from the shock and from running away.

"Shouyou-kun!" Someone called, Kuroo was surprised to see Yaku thumping up the stairs. "You know you're not allowed up here! Sawamura-san has to talk to a teacher-" Yaku stopped when he saw Kuroo holding the tiny child, and his eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing up here, Kuroo?" Yaku asked bluntly, hands held out as if to hold Shouyou.

Kuroo smirked and held Shouyou just out of Yaku's reach, and Shouyou giggled because he was up so high. "I'm just seeing if Kai is free."

"He'll be free in a bit, Sawamura-san needed to talk to him."

"Ohoho, I'll just wait here then."

Yaku stood patiently in front of Kuroo for a solid minute, and then sighed. "Shouyou-kun needs to go _downstairs_ , Kuroo."

"Oh. Right." Kuroo handed Shouyou over to Yaku, noticing the pout on the child's face. "I'll see you later, Shouyou-kun. Be sure to cause trouble for Yaku-sensei."

Shouyou nods seriously, eyes bright. "I will!"

Yaku gives Kuroo a look before he walks down the stairs, being sure to hold Shouyou so he wouldn't fall. Kuroo smothered a laugh as he watched them; Yaku took his job _way_  too seriously.

Kuroo continued walking down the relatively short hall, and stopped in front of a door near the end. He could hear the faint murmur of voices, and decided to wait outside instead of barging in or knocking. After all, he didn't have anything serious to tell Kai, he simply wanted to know if the other was free later. His little question could wait in lieu of something more serious.

He was tempted to pull out his phone as he waited, but Kuroo knew that if someone caught him with his phone out he would get in trouble. Hell, if a _child_  saw him with his phone, he was doomed. They always demanded to play a game on the phone, and one child accidentally reset Kuroo's phone. Worst of all, he couldn't put the kid in time-out in fear of another coworker finding out he had been using his phone.

Kuroo sighed slightly. Working at a daycare was _hard_. Just as he sighed, he heard the already soft voices die down and stood up straight. He eyed the door, wondering if they were truly done talking or not.  
Unsurprisingly, the door opened a minute later and Kuroo stared at the person that walked out.

It was Daichi, and he looked a hell of a lot better than he had when Kuroo met him. He was still in a suit, but didn't look haggard or out of breath. His hair was immaculate and his eyes were as warm as ever and _shit he was staring straight at Kuroo._

Daichi stared at him for a moment longer, and suddenly smiled. "It's nice to see you again, Kuroo-sensei."

"Likewise, Sawamura-san." Kuroo realized something and laughed. "I just ran into Shouyou-kun too, weird."

Daichi frowned. "Please tell me he wasn't causing trouble."

Kuroo tried his best to frown. "I saw him come up the stairs. He probably saw you and wanted to follow."

"I'm sorry," Daichi apologized. "I hope he didn't disrupt the other kids."

"Ah, he probably didn't." Kuroo said dismissively. "He was gone for ten minutes tops, they probably didn't even notice."

Daichi looked confused. "Then why are you still there?"

"Huh?"

"Aren't you the worker who came after Shouyou?"

Kuroo realized where the confusion came from and laughed. "Ah, I work with the toddlers, not preschoolers. I'm on break right now, and only saw Shouyou by coincidence."

Daichi turned pink, embarrassed. "Sorry for assuming."

"Its fine, I _was_  watching Shouyou-kun when we met." Kuroo said dismissively. "That's because I was the overtime worker that day."

"Do you usually work overtime?" Daichi asked. "Shouyou-kun keeps talking about you."

"Eh, sort of." Kuroo admitted sheepishly. "I feel bad when other people have to stay late, and don't get to go home to their families quickly."

"Doesn't the same apply to you?"

"Nah, I've just got a roommate and some cats waiting for me at home," Kuroo waved a hand. "Anyways, aren't you picking up Shouyou-kun?"

Daichi blinked, and rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, yeah. Sorry."

He turned to leave and was about to pass Kuroo in the hall when their eyes met again. Kuroo had the sudden, overwhelming need to get Daichi's number. Just as he was about to ask, however, there was a sudden commotion, the sound of thumping feet, and he felt a child run into the back of his legs. Kuroo, quick to react, did not fall over but braced himself against the wall. This did little to help the child, and Kuroo felt, rather than heard, the thump the kid's head made as it hit the back of Kuroo's knee.

The child immediately started wailing, and Kuroo tried to turn around to see who they were, maybe pick them up and comfort them, but the kid had latched onto his pant leg and wouldn't let go. Kuroo almost fell over, again, when the child tried to rub his face against Kuroo's pants in an attempt to dry their tears.

Daichi, meanwhile, looked as stunned as Kuroo felt. He seemed to recognize the cry, however, and put on a stern face as he said, "Shouyou, calm down."

The child stopped crying, all of a sudden, and let go of Kuroo's pants. He turned around to see Shouyou's red face, puffy eyes, and confused pout. "Why'd you sound like Dai-nii?"

"I'm behind Kuroo-sensei, Shouyou."

Shouyou's face brightened, and he made a break for Daichi. The child ran _in between_ Kuroo's legs, ignorant of the fact that he almost made Kuroo fall over, and then attached himself to Daichi's legs. "Dai-nii!"

"Shouyou," Daichi pat the top of his head as Kuroo struggled to regain his balance. "You need to be more careful."

"I was being careful!"

"I almost fell over because of you," Kuroo wheezed, breathless from the adrenaline rush he had received _and_  the effort it took him not to collapse in front of Daichi. He looked _so_ uncool.

Meanwhile, someone else had come up the stairs in all this commotion. "What's going on here?"

Kuroo turned to see Yaku standing in front of the stairs, a stern look on his face the moment he saw the child. "Shouyou-kun! You need to stop running away from the play area! This area is off limits for children."

"Sorry, Yaku-sensei," Shouyou said, response more immediate rather than meaningful. He clung to Daichi's pant legs, face partially hidden in them. "I wanted to see Dai-nii."

Daichi picked Shouyou up. "I'm sorry for all the trouble he causes, Yaku-sensei, Kuroo-sensei."

Yaku blinked and realized the man was there. "Ah, its okay Sawamura-san. He just saw you earlier and got excited."

"I'm not surprised," Daichi said dryly, and Kuroo stifled a laugh.

Daichi still heard him, and turned to the taller man. The two of them shared a smile, but were interrupted by a loud cough coming from Yaku. "I'll escort you to the front so you can sigh Shouyou-kun out, Sawamura-san."

"Right. Thanks," Daichi (and Shouyou) waved to Kuroo before they accompanied Yaku down the stairs, and Kuroo found himself still smiling.

He willed his smile to go down and entered Kai's office, unsurprised to see a mountain of papers on the other's desk. Kai seemed unbothered by the workload, or the fact that it was making a mess out of his otherwise immaculate office. He almost didn't notice Kuroo come in, but managed to look up just in time to see the door slide open. "Oh, hi Kuroo."

"Hey Kai," Kuroo closed the door softly, as if to make up for the ruckus in the hall minutes earlier. "Overworked much?"

Kai laughed. "This isn't a lot of work, believe me." He pat the large pile of papers to the side of him. "Its just the paperwork from the parents. Most were filled out incorrectly, so I have to contact the parents and get everything straightened out before I can file them."

Kuroo made a face. "Yikes. Can't you just tell the parents to fill it out again? Or better yet, drop them from the program?"

"That's not our policy and you know it," Kai said mildly. "This is the second time they've filled the paperwork out."

"Please tell me you're joking."

Kai simply smiled, and Kuroo knew he was serious. "... _How_  did they get to be adults and not learn how to fill out paperwork?"

"I'm not sure," Kai's smile grew strained. "Surprisingly, its usually younger parents that fill out their paperwork correctly. Its likely just a generation difference."

Kuroo hummed. "Probably," he suddenly realized something. "Hey, did that Sawamura guy who was just in here file out his paperwork correctly?"

"He did."

"Really?" Kuroo was surprised. "Well, he seems like a pretty responsible guy. If a bit scatterbrained."

"He's not scatterbrained," Kai replied immediately. "He got custody of his brother only a few months ago, that's why he's struggling."

Kuroo's interest was piqued. "How long ago, exactly?"

"You seem very interested in him, Kuroo," Kai said instead of answering.

Kuroo heard the silent question and frowned. "I'm just curious."

Kai gave him a look, and Kuroo flushed. "Seriously! I'm just curious, that's all."

"If you say so," Kai said serenely. "By the way, what did you come in here for?"

"Oh, right. I was wondering if you wanted to get drinks after work?"

"Sure," Kai smiled again, and Kuroo was looking forward to outpacing him in drinks.

 

  
Kuroo woke up to something large and furry on his face, and he was about to groan when a piercing sound was heard. It was his alarm, unsurprisingly, and after a moment Kuroo realized that the fluffy apparatus on his head was, in fact, his pet cat Momo. Momo did _not_  appreciate his alarm, and let him know with a sudden claw to the cheek. Thankfully, that was all she did before running out of the room, but the damage was done. Not only was Kuroo hungover, but he had a large scratch on his face _and_  an alarm still screaming at him.

Today was not going to be a good day.

He managed to find the strength to get up and turn off his alarm, and checked to make sure he was presentable enough to leave his room. Drunk Kuroo had not been kind and made him spend ten minutes hunting for his phone, and he plugged it in (after checking to see if he had drunk dialed any of his exes which, thankfully, he hadn't) before trudging out of his room.

Kuroo was surprised to not trip on any cats on his way to the kitchen, and after breathing deeply realized why: his roommate was making breakfast. Hopefully he would have mercy on Kuroo and make some for him as well, but at this point it was a 50/50 chance. Kuroo didn't like those odds.

Still, he slid into the kitchen and saw that his roommate, Kenma had _just_  finished making enough miso soup for him and Kuroo. Now if only he'll be nice enough to share...

"You forgot to leave your door open when you came in last night."

Kuroo cursed silently. "Sorry, I was pretty drunk."

"Momo was outside your door _all_  night. She kept crying and woke me up several times."

Shit. "Then how'd she get in my room? I woke up with her butt on my face. Again."

"I opened the door when I woke up," Kenma said simply, and he smacked Kuroo's hand the instant he tried to grab a bowl. "Go sit down, you're a hazard in the kitchen."

"So harsh!" Kuroo pretended to be offended. "I've only lit _one_  meal on fire, thank you very much."

"That was when you were hungover, like you are right now," Kenma squinted at Kuroo. "I made breakfast, so you have set the table."

Kuroo sighed, and pretended like he _wasn't_  thankful Kenma was going to share his food. "Fiiine."

Kuroo grabbed some plates and chopsticks, left the kitchen and went to sit down in the shared living room/dining room with cats following him. He dropped the plates and silverware on the table before meandering back to the bathroom to grab some headache medicine, and then popped back into the kitchen to grab a drink. The moment he sat down, however, all three of his (and Kenma's) pet cats piled on top of him, and he was almost subjected to another butt in his face by the youngest, Ichigo. However, the oldest (Ringo) managed to grab the tiny kitten and subject him to a thorough cleaning, so Kuroo was free to pet Momo as he waited.

Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long before Kenma appeared with a tray full of breakfast. They said their thanks and dug in, and Kuroo was nearly crying by the time he finished his soup. Kenma's miso soup was the food of the gods, but he only felt inclined to share when Kuroo was hungover or having a horrible day. He was almost tempted to drink more often, but Kuroo was responsible enough to know a bad idea when he thought of one.

"This is the first time I've seen you have a decent breakfast in weeks," Kuroo noted. "Usually you get bread from the convenience store."

"I have a bit of free time this morning," Kenma said in response, stealing the last bit of natto. "Most of the interns are done with their training."

"Is that one guy still giving you trouble?"

Kenma sighed, and that was the only response Kuroo needed. " _He's_  the reason why I still have to go in early today. Messed up one of his codes and texted me at midnight asking for help."

Kuroo winced. "Yikes. Are you sure he's qualified for the job?"

"... He is," Kenma said after a second. "He's just clumsy, after a bit he'll settle in."

"If you say so," Kuroo watched Kenma get up and take his plate into the kitchen. "Hey, was Kai with me last night when I got home?"

"He was, and he didn't look drunk." Kenma responded, and Kuroo cursed. He had lost the competition _again_.

Kenma soon left for his job, but Kuroo took his time finishing breakfast. He quickly regretted that decision when he glanced at the clock and realized he had five minutes to get ready. Kuroo threw the plates into the sink and left them to soak, knowing that Kenma was going to chew him out later but he didn't have the _time_. Seven minutes later (two spent trying, and failing, to fix his hair) Kuroo ran out of his apartment, ignoring the sad looks on his cat's faces as he locked up. He wasn't able to give them goodbye pets like he usually did, and the guilt would bother him for the rest of the day.

He made it to work just in time to avoid being chewed out for tardiness, and sat next to Yaku as they waited for the children and parents to filter in. Kuroo was still filling in for someone, and this meant he had even more opportunities to see Daichi. Now if only Daichi would _show up._

"You look tired," Yaku noted as a pair of rambunctious twins were being checked in.

Kuroo was about to answer, but yawned instead. "I had a late night."

Yaku narrowed his eyes, and then Kuroo knew he was in trouble. "You went drinking last night didn't you."

Kuroo laughed nervously. "Haha, why would you think that-"

"Its the _middle_  of the week Kuroo, what the fuck." Yaku said bluntly, ignoring the fact that he just cursed in earshot of a bunch of children. "You have no restraint."

"Look, I wasn't the only one drinking-" Kuroo said, trying to deflect the blame, but he was cut off again.

"So what? You're the one in charge of yourself," Yaku retorted, and Kuroo winced and looked to the side.

Just as he did, Kai passed by the door. He glanced in and saw Kuroo and Yaku, and did little more than smile and nod as he continued to the stairs. Yaku, meanwhile, was still berating Kuroo and didn't even _notice_  his murderous looks towards the door. Damn Kai for never getting hungover. _Damn_  him.

Yaku eventually just sighs and stares at Kuroo. "Sometimes I can't believe you graduated with honors."

"WOW, rude Yaku." Kuroo said dramatically. "I didn't even go to college with you, how do you know that?"

"Kai told me," Yaku looked sullen. "Its not my fault you two decided to go to college out of the prefecture."

Kuroo hummed. "True, but we still ended up working together. How ironic."

"More like how unfortunate," Yaku muttered, but Kuroo ignored him because he had spotted an orange blur and was hoping it was Shouyou.

His hope was not unfounded, as mere seconds later a tiny child appeared in front of him. "Kuroo-sensei! You're here!!"

Kuroo smiled. "Hey, Shouyou-kun. I'm filling in for Miki-san for a while."

"I'm so sorry," Yaku said seriously.

Shouyou looked confused, but beamed. "Yay! Do you have any candy-"

Someone put a hand on Shouyou's shoulder, and Kuroo glanced up to see it wasn't Daichi, but rather a grey-haired man he didn't know. "Shouyou, its too early for candy. Plus, don't you have something else to say?"

Shouyou pouted a bit, and then bowed low in front of Kuroo. "T-Thank you for watching me late the other day! I'm sorry to have t-troubled you!!"

He fumbled his words and nearly stumbled over the pronounciation, but once Shouyou poked his head up Kuroo felt himself smile widely. "It's really no problem Shouyou-kun. You don't have to be so formal, silly." Then, for good measure, he ruffled the child's hair.

"But Dai-nii told me I have to make sure I say it seriously!" Shouyou responded, accepting the head pat nonetheless.

Kuroo laughed. "Well, then you can tell him I thought you were plenty sincere."

Shouyou smiled, but got distracted by another of the kids and ran off to go play. Kuroo watched him go, and then glanced back at the unfamiliar man, who then spoke. "Sorry for that, Daichi told Shouyou to be formal and he took those words very... well, seriously." The man sighed. "Honestly, Daichi is too stiff sometimes."

Kuroo had no idea who this guy was, but he found himself agreeing with him. "Yeah, he seems like the type to be that."

This made the man smile, and he extended a hand. "I'm Sugawara, by the way. Daichi's a friend of mine and I take Shouyou-kun to daycare for him a lot."

Kuroo shook his hand, and returned the smile. "Kuroo Tetsurou. I work here, but I work with the younger kids mostly. I'm substituting for now."

"Shouyou-kun seems to like you," Sugawara said, eyes on the child (who had started to wander back to the adults, surprisingly.)

"I hope he does," Kuroo said honestly. "I mean, this _is_  my job."

Sugawara snorted. "Good point. Thank you for taking care of him."

"... _You're_  too formal, Sugawara-san. Like I said, its no prob-" Kuroo cut himself off when he felt something tug the sleeve of his shirt, and he glanced over to see Shouyou.

"Kuroo-sensei! Come play with me!!" Shouyou seemed ignorant to the adult's conversation, eyes shining with excitement.

Kuroo looked back at Sugawara, who simply smiled and tipped his head in farewell. He also said a quiet goodbye to Yaku, strangely enough. Kuroo figured they must know each other.

He then felt Shouyou tug on his sleeve again, and smiled. "Sure, as long as your friends don't mind."

"They don't!! Tobio-kun might pretend, but he really likes to play with grown ups..." Shouyou yammered on as Kuroo accompanied him to the play area where the children had gathered a bit more closely, and he was reminded why he really, truly, loved this job. Kuroo loved to see children happy.

 

  
"Dai-nii is late again," Shouyou says simply as he sits in front of a massive pile of blocks, having just demolished the tower he made minutes ago.

Kuroo, who was sitting near him, simply sighed and smiled. "Guess he is."

"Suga-san said he could pick me up today, but Dai-nii said he would," Shouyou frowned. "Now he's late."

"He probably just got held up in traffic, Shouyou-kun." Kuroo said, patting the child's hair.

Shouyou looked at him and beamed. "Yeah!! Now we get to play more."

"Just don't take out too many toys, okay?" Kuroo said after a moment, watching Shouyou make a beeline towards some other blocks.

Shouyou huffed. " _Fine_. Will you play with me?"

Kuroo pretended to be offended. "Of _course_  I'll play with you."

"Yay!! Can you do the Mumen Rider voice? You do it perfectly."

"Sure." There's no way Shouyou can find out Kuroo had spent _months_  practicing the voice when the anime first came out. That was a secret he would take to the grave.

Shouyou and Kuroo played for a while, and soon enough Kuroo realized the sun was setting already. He was surprised that Daichi would be _this_  late; something was obviously keeping him. Maybe he should try phoning him again... Kuroo did want to see him, of course, but he also had to cook dinner tonight.

Kuroo was about to slip into the downstairs office for the phone book when he felt eyes on him. He glanced at the doorway and saw someone peeking around it, eyes alight with awe. Kuroo blinked as he made eye contact with the person, and then he realized it was Daichi. Just then, Shouyou collided with Kuroo as he pretended to make his toy fly, and Kuroo grabbed him as a reflex.

"Look!" Kuroo said loudly, feeling his face heat up. Daichi had been _watching_  him. "Your brother's here!"

"Dai-nii!!" Shouyou barreled past Kuroo and clung to Daichi's legs, a bright smile on his face. "You took _forever_!"

"Sorry, the train got delayed again," Daichi said, patting the top of Shouyou's head. "You looked like you were having fun without me."

Shouyou nodded. "Kuroo-sensei's fun to play with! He can do the Mumen Rider voice."

"Is that so," Daichi seemed confused as to who Shouyou was talking about, and Kuroo muffled a giggle.

Daichi then turned to look at Kuroo again, and the taller man tried not to get lost in his eyes. Again. "Thanks for watching him."

Kuroo coughed, aware that his face was still red as he said, "I'm glad to watch him, its really no trouble."

"Even though you usually watch the younger kids?" Daichi said dryly, making the other flush even more.

"Kuroo-sensei's s-substituting for Miki-sensei!" Shouyou piped up, stumbling over his words. "He said so."

"Oh really?" Daichi watched Shouyou nod, and turned back to Kuroo. "I'll be running into you more, then"

"P-Probably," Damnit, why was Kuroo blushing and stuttering like a highschooler? He was an _adult_ , damnit.

Daichi smiled. "Good. We'll be going now, see you tomorrow."

He and Shouyou waved to Kuroo as they left, and Kuroo found himself waving back. He continued to wave as they walked down the street, and it was only after they were out of sight that he realized. He looked _so_  lame.

It was the weekend, and for the first time in a while Kuroo found himself awaiting work on Monday. He had seen Daichi several times throughout the week, usually whenever Daichi was picking up Shouyou, and Kuroo found himself wanting to see the shorter man more and more. They've only had a handful of proper conversations, but every time they finished talking Kuroo was left with an overwhelming feeling of curiosity. Sawamura Daichi was one of the most _interesting_  people he had ever met, and on top of that he was incredibly good looking. Kuroo wanted nothing more than to sit down at a restaurant with him and listen to him talk about himself; he wanted to know everything about Daichi. He also wanted to kiss him a bit, but that could wait for now.

Simply put, Kuroo was interested in Daichi. He hadn't felt this interested in anyone since his first crush, and even then it had simply been because the other was on a rival team in high school.

"I can see wrinkles."

Kuroo twitched when he heard Kenma's voice, and he glanced over at the entry way to see the other had just arrived. "You're early."

"On time," Kenma corrected him, taking a seat on the opposite side of the sofa Kuroo was sitting on. The cats immediately flocked to Kenma, and he was quickly buried under a mound of fur. "Are you thinking about that guy again?"

Kuroo sighed heavily, which was the only answer Kenma needed. "Love struck fool."

"I'm nottt," Kuroo whined, only to be met with a harsh glare from Kenma. "Okay, I am a little bit. Its rare for me to actually like someone, okay? Usually they're just flings."

"I know," Kenma said dryly. "You don't even have his number yet."

"... I don't want to scare him off," Kuroo admitted. "Especially since I met him at work-its _incredibly_  awkward seeing your exes at work."

Kenma hummed. "I can imagine. You really like his brother too."

"Shouyou-kun is one of the easiest kids I've had to work with," Kuroo said. "Of course I like him. Plus he thinks my Mumen Rider voice is awesome-"

"-And his brother is attractive," Kenma cut him off. "So you say."

"Sawamura-san is like a drop of water in the desert," Kuroo said, a wistful note in his voice. "And I'm a thirsty man. Plus, he treats his brother really well. He's amazing with kids."

"So, in other words, he's exactly your type."

Kuroo was silent for a moment, and Kenma glanced at him to see his face was bright red. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"... Damnit Kenma, quit teasing me," Kuroo whined. "You're being awfully pushy about this."

"It'd be better for you to try and fail then to never try at all," Kenma retorted. "Plus, it'll stop you from moping on the couch all weekend."

"That's true," Kuroo agreed, not missing the triumphant smile on Kenma's face. He had the same face when he beat a level in a game, but rarely smiled like that any other time.

The comment about getting out on the weekend stuck with Kuroo, and after a few minutes of silence it clicked. "... Its like you _want_  me out of the house on weekends."

Kenma huffed, but Kuroo could tell he was hiding something. "You're just painful to look at."

" _You_  have someone you're interested in, don't you?" Kuroo asked, a grin on his face. "You want me out of the house so you can have weekend dates with them _here_."

"I do _not_ have a crush," Kenma said rather vehemently, a blush beginning to form on his face.

"Do too."

"... I might. Have someone I like, though."

Kuroo, wisely enough, did not accuse that of being a _crush_. "Who is it? Someone I know?"

"Not exactly, but you know of them."

"Someone at your work?"

"Yeah."

"Older or younger?"

"Younger."

"What are they like?"

"Loud and obnoxious," Kenma said, gently prying Ichigo out of his lap. "But strangely captivating."

"That's, like. The exact opposite of your type." Kuroo observed.

Kenma huffed. "I've only dated two people, I don't _have_  a type."

"Fair point," Kuroo said, petting the offended Ichigo. "You should go for it."

"I might. _If_  you promise to get that guy's number sometime."

"... I'll try."

"Good," Kenma snuggled further into the couch cushions, comfortable despite two cats still climbing all over him.

Kuroo smiled at his childhood friend. "I was totally right about you having a crush."

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Was not."

 

  
"-be late, traffic's really bad right now!"

"Thanks for letting us know, that's fine." Kuroo said goodbye to the person on the phone and put it back on the receiver, waiting for the click before sighing.

Daichi wasn't picking up Shouyou today, but that didn't necessarily mean that Shouyou would be picked up _on time_. Sugawara had just called the daycare to let Kuroo know that he was running late, and that it would likely be an hour before he showed up. Normally Kuroo didn't mind, but it wasn't even Daichi picking Shouyou up so he allowed himself to feel a bit sad. At least Shouyou seemed content to play by himself today; he hadn't even raised his head when Kuroo left the room to phone Sugawara.

That meant that Kuroo could relax just a bit, even if he was technically still working. Kuroo sat in a chair near Shouyou, looking out the window with a sigh. He had made _no_  progress in dating Daichi, hell he still didn't even have the other's number. Kuroo was feeling a bit defeated, but he knew if he gave up now he would hate himself for it later.

"Why are you sad, Kuroo-sensei?" Shouyou asked, and the older man realized that he was being stared at.

"Ah, its nothing really," Kuroo ran a hand through his hair, wincing when he realized how sweaty his scalp was. He'd need to take a shower as soon as he got home. "I'm just in love."

"Aren't you supposed to be happy, because you're in love?"

Kuroo winced. "Its a bit more complicated than that. They don't know I love them."

"Oooh," Shouyou nodded wisely. "Its Dai-nii, right?"

Kuroo turned crimson, and Shouyou looked up when he didn't respond. He grinned almost immediately, a light in his eyes similar to Daichi's. "You _do_! Wait, do you want to _date_ Dai-nii?"

"W-what made you come to this conclusion?" Kuroo said instead of answering, and he coughed.

Shouyou looked confused by his words. "What?"

"Oh, sorry. Why do you think I want to... _date_... Sawamura-san."

"Because you like him," Shouyou said simply. "Kuroo-sensei looks happy when you see Dai-nii. _Really_ happy. Plus you look at him a lot."

Kuroo thought he had been sneaky about that. "And you talk about Dai-nii to Yaku-sensei! Yaku-sensei laughs when your face is red."

"Goddamnit Yaku," Kuroo muttered. Were children always this observant?

Shouyou looked like he was going to go on, but he stopped and stared at the doorway. "Suga-san!!"

Kuroo turned to see Sugawara in the doorway, and then he glanced back at the clock. It had barely been thirty minutes, _how_ did he get here so quickly?

Meanwhile, Shouyou abandoned his toys and charged Sugawara, who had walked into the room. Sugawara caught him easily, spinning the child and laughing. He put Shouyou on the ground after a moment, smiling, and then turned to Kuroo. "Traffic let up quickly. I'm just as surprised as you."

"How weird," Kuroo said absentmindedly. He was still thinking about what Shouyou had said.

Sugawara seemed to notice his inattentiveness, and said a quick farewell before leaving to check out Shouyou. Kuroo was, technically, supposed to clean up now and head out, but he decided to sit by the window and think a bit. Was his crush on Daichi _really_  that obvious? So obvious a _child_ could see it?

Kuroo had been proud of himself for acting normal around Daichi. After all, Kuroo only saw him at work, and the last thing he needed was a complaint or for Daichi to feel uncomfortable. Kuroo was still unsure about _how_ to approach Daichi, after all. He could hold casual conversation easily enough, and the occasional serious conversation, though those usually revolved around Shouyou or child care in general. Anything beyond his job, however, Kuroo was at a loss with. Was he just supposed to be blunt and ask Daichi for his number? Would that even work? What if Daichi refused? _What if he stopped taking Shouyou to the daycare?_

Quite frankly, Kuroo had no idea how to approach his attraction to Daichi. Much less how to approach a _relationship_ with him.

Kuroo sighed and started to clean up the play area. Whatever happens will happen. That's all he could hope for.

 

  
Kuroo was obnoxiously early to work the next day, despite the fact that he barely slept. He wanted to make sure he got there on time to see Daichi... _If_ Daichi was the one that dropped off Shouyou.

"Reason number forty-seven I need his number," Kuroo muttered to himself.

He saw Yaku give him a look, but ignored it. He was still waking up, so to speak, and was very testy. The last thing he needed was to snap at Yaku, that would leave them both sulky for the rest of the day. The last time they argued at work the _kids_ even noticed, and one burst into the tears at the thought of Kuroo-sensei and Yaku-sensei hating each other. Kuroo had a hard time explaining to the child that he and Yaku argued by nature, and Yaku certainly wasn't helping by glaring at him. Plus, this was the longest they've gone without bickering and Kuroo didn't want to be the one to ruin the streak.

People started filtering into the room, which Kuroo was thankful for. He needed the distraction that was playing nice with the parents, and (if he was lucky) he'd get to see Daichi soon. Kuroo hadn't forgotten his conversation with Shouyou the other day, but he was hoping the child had. He did _not_ want Shouyou bringing up Kuroo's crush in front of Daichi, that was too embarrassing to even imagine.

"Kuroo-sensei!" He heard a familiar cry and smiled; that was Shouyou, and he was already dragging his brother through the crowd of parents.

Kuroo resisted the urge to hug Shouyou, and smiled instead. "You two are early."

Shouyou nodded. "Dai-nii wanted to get here first!!"

"Oh really?" Kuroo glanced at Daichi and smiled, noticing him turn pink. "Well, you'll have to try a bit harder next time."

"We would've been early if Dai-nii didn't spend _forever_ trying to fix his hair," Shouyou complained, squawking when Daichi pinched his cheek.

"I have to look nice for work, you know." Daichi said.

Shouyou looked up at his brother and said, rather seriously, "Dai-nii, you went to work in pj's yesterday."

Daichi's face went crimson. "That was an _accident_ , Shou-kun."

Kuroo saw Shouyou's face glow at the nickname. Huh, that must be a new development. "I used to wear sweatpants to work before Yaku-sensei talked me out of it, I completely understand."

Daichi laughed. "I did that throughout college."

"Ah yes," Kuroo said, stroking a pretend beard. "College. I'm pretty sure I wore pj's the entire four years."

This made Daichi laugh again, and he had a fond, wistful look in his eyes. He smiled at Kuroo, and Kuroo felt himself return the smile.

Just when Kuroo was scrambling for an excuse to get Daichi's number, a high-pitched child made themself known. "Kuroo-sensei!!"

It was Shouyou, and he pushed himself in between the two men (when had Kuroo leaned closer to Daichi? Did _Daichi_ want them to closer??) "You should come to our house! I wanna show you my toys!"

Kuroo blinked, and glanced at Daichi. He also seemed confused by this sudden question, and shrugged helplessly.

"Uh, if your brother says its okay," Kuroo answered, unsure how to respond.

Shouyou turned and gave Daichi a hopeful look, and Kuroo could see the other's resolve crumble before it even started. "As long as Kuroo-sensei is okay with it."

"I am, don't worry," Kuroo said the instant Shouyou turned back to him, and he smiled.

Shouyou beamed. "Yay! I can't wait!!"

"Inside voice please."

"Oh, sorry." Shouyou put a hand over to his mouth, and he waved when he noticed Daichi was leaving.

Kuroo waved as well, smirking when he noticed that Daichi's face was suspiciously pink. He hoped he wasn't just imagining that.

The rest of the day passed in a fairly calm fashion, the only drama being when Shouyou got into the markers and drew on his classmate's face. Kuroo almost had to call Daichi for that, but thankfully the kid's parent didn't want to make a fuss out of it. Neither did the kid, as a matter for a fact, but Kuroo knew that was because he was already planning his revenge.

Kuroo would have to keep an eye on Shouyou and his friend Tobio for a while, those two were an endless amount of trouble.

The workday drew to an end, but Kuroo was still stuck here. Daichi was late yet _again_ , but Kuroo was having a hard time getting irritated at that. Hell, he could even be late on _purpose_ and Kuroo wouldn't be mad. His thoughts were focused entirely on the thought of going over to Daichi's _house_ soon.

Kuroo was tempted to ask Shouyou what the place was like, but he didn't want the kid remembering their previous conversation and blurting out something in front of Daichi.

Shouyou's sigh broke Kuroo out of his train of thought, and he glanced over at the kid. "Dai-nii is taking _so_ long," Shouyou complained.

Kuroo resisted the urge to giggle, and instead smiled. "He'll be here in a bit, and if he isn't I'll call and see what's up."

"'Kay," Shouyou went back to his toys, unbothered for the most part.

Idly Kuroo wondered if the child had gotten _used_ to his brother (or whomever was picking him up) being late, and whether that was a good thing for him to be used to.

"Do you think he's always late on _purpose_?" Shouyou asked after a moment.

Kuroo wondered where the kid had gotten _that_ idea. "I doubt that, Shouyou-kun. No one likes being late."

"But if he's on time that means he doesn't get to talk to you."

Kuroo froze at those words, and he stared at Shouyou. "What makes you think he wants to talk to me?"

Shouyou huffed. "Because he _likes_ you, duh!"

Kuroo felt his cheeks warm, and pat the top of Shouyou's head. "You're hilarious, you must get that from your brother."

"But Dai-nii isn't really funny-"

"What about me?" A loud voice said, and both Kuroo and Shouyou jumped and looked at the doorway.

Daichi stood in front of them, a stern look on his face. "Shouyou, you're not talking about me to Kuroo-sensei again, are you?"

"... Maybe."

"He's such a little troublemaker," Daichi said to Kuroo, shaking his head. "Sorry about that. You don't really have to come over if you don't want to, by the way."

Kuroo blinked, still shocked at Daichi's sudden appearance. Its almost as if he had been eavesdropping... "Really, its fine. Unless you don't want me to come over?"

Daichi shook his head suddenly. "No, you're welcome to come over. I just don't want you feeling obligated to because of Shou-"

"-Hey!"

"Plus, you'd have to go to the store with us." Daichi looked troubled. "I forgot to go grocery shopping last night."

"That's fine," Kuroo said nonchalantly. "I need to grab something for my roommate, anyways."

 

 

Ten minutes later, Kuroo found himself holding onto Shouyou's hand and walking beside Daichi, who was staring carefully at a container of noodles. "These are half off, but the other brand is two for one..."

"Is he always like this?" Kuroo muttered to Shouyou. 

The boy nodded. "Dai-nii likes getting the best price!"

Kuroo sighed. "Does it usually take him this long?"

"Yeah!"

By now Daichi was wandering the aisle, glancing at the different noodle products and their prices. Kuroo, meanwhile was contemplating shoving the noodles into the basket when he heard a familiar voice. "You didn't steal a child from work, did you?"

"Kenma!"

His roommate stood before him, and Kuroo had never seen Kenma look worse. He had on a surgical mask and his eyes were so dark and tired-looking that Kuroo had the urge to call off the Sawamura excursion and take Kenma home. He wouldn't appreciate it and neither would Kenma, who was far beyond the age of coddling.

"You look awful," Kuroo said instead, noticing Shouyou hide behind his leg.

"I had a late night and a busy day. Someone fu-messed up and deleted their work on the project, and I have to pull up their slack," Kenma, thankfully enough, had the sense to not swear in front of a child. "Why do you have a kid with you?"

"Ah, I'm going to dinner at a friends tonight," Kuroo admitted sheepishly. "What about you? I thought we had stuff at home."

"We're out of eggs and rice," Kenma pretended to be disinterested in the child, but Kuroo knew he was because he kept trying to see his face. "... I don't remember any of your friends having a kid."

"This is a work friend. The one I've been talking about?" Kuroo's vague answers weren't enough to clue Kenma in, so eventually he just sighed. "Sawamura Daichi invited me over for dinner."

Kenma's eyebrows shot up. "Oh. Is this Shouyou-kun?"

"Yup. Shouyou-kun, this is my friend Kenma." Kuroo was surprised to see the younger boy so shy. "He doesn't bite, I promise. Unlike you."

Shouyou did little more than cling to Kuroo's pant leg and stare at Kenma, and Kuroo was surprised when it was _Kenma_ that made the first move. Kenma knelt down (careful of his knees) to be level with Shouyou which instantly caught the child's attention. Then, ignoring the fact that he was already getting stares for sitting down _in public_ , Kenma fished out a piece of candy from his jacket and handed it to the child. It was bright orange and chock-full of sugar, so naturally the child ate it immediately. Kenma then pat the top of Shouyou's head and stood back up, putting his hands in his pockets. "See you later."

"Bye Kenma," Kuroo said, used to his friend's oddities. He was surprised when Shouyou shouted, "Bye Kenma-san!" and waved a hand rather enthusiastically, but pleased nonetheless.

"I didn't know you were seeing someone," A voice said on his left, and Kuroo felt himself flinch.

It was Daichi, and he had a strange smile on his face.

Kuroo calmed his racing heart as what Daichi had said processed, and then he snorted. "Kenma? Nah, he's just my roommate. Well, we're more like childhood friends but still. We're not dating."

"Oh," For some strange reason Daichi looked relieved. "Okay. Was that candy he gave Shou-kun sugar-free?"

"I don't know," Kuroo said honestly, looking down at Shouyou, who was licking the remnants of the candy from his fingers. "I hope."

 

 

By the time they got to Daichi's apartment, they learned that the candy was _not_ sugar free, nor did Shouyou want to calm down. It was a miracle they got there without incident, though that was likely due to Kuroo clutching Shouyou to his chest half the time. Shouyou had calmed down a bit when he did that, though he zoomed off the instant Kuroo set foot in the apartment's entrance room.

"Shou-kun, take your shoes off!" Daichi called, fairly unaffected by his brother's sugar high. "He doesn't usually have candy."

"I can tell," Kuroo said blandly, carefully unlacing his shoes. "Are you sure you don't need help with those?"

Daichi looked at the handful of grocery bags he was holding and laughed. "I'm fine, go ahead. I'm sure Shou-kun wants to show you his toys."

Shouyou, meanwhile, reappeared and grabbed Kuroo's hand. "You need to meet Sumi!"

"Sumi?"

"Sumi! She's our dog," Shouyou said, dragging Kuroo down the hall and into the living room. "She's huge and brown and nice!"

Kuroo had a flashback to the last time he had interacted with a dog and winced. Hopefully this one wouldn't be as huge-

_It was bigger._

Shouyou went up to the _large_ Labrador Retriever with no problem, giggling when she licked his face and whined. "Come say hi!"

Kuroo, very cautiously, approached the dog. He held out his hand, unsure what to do, and was surprised when Sumi licked him. She walked over and sat in front of Kuroo, tail thumping loudly against the floor as she waited for him to do something. Kuroo, still wary, scratched the back of her ears. This seemed to be the selling point for the dog, and she bumped his leg when he stopped petting her. Shouyou was happily rubbing the dog's back, going on an on about how "Sumi is the best dog ever!" and "She really loves Dai-nii!" as well as "She's very shy, but Sumi likes you a lot!"

Kuroo wasn't used to animals other than cats liking him. This was... strange.

"That's weird," Kuroo heard Daichi say, and he turned to see the other heading towards the kitchen area. "She usually takes a while to warm up to people."

"Maybe its because I smell like cat," Kuroo mused, now petting Sumi's belly.

Daichi snorted. "She hates cat, so probably not."

Kuroo took another look at the dog, which was cheerfully slobbering all over him, and briefly feared for his life. Sumi made a whining noise and bat at his hand, and this erased all the fear in Kuroo's mind. Whatever it was, this dog loved him and he loved this dog too.

"Kuroo-sensei !" Shouyou shouted all of a sudden, as if he had had a sudden realization. "You _have_ to see my toys!!"

Kuroo looked at the dog mournfully; she was so happy, tail thumping against the floor, eyes bright and hopeful for more pets. Sadly though, he was here to see Shouyou's toys, not to pet dogs. That would have to wait. "Sure, Shouyou."

"Awesome!! I have a lot here, but there's even more in my room. Here's my towers- Dai-nii my towers got knocked down!!"

"That's probably because you didn't clean them up," Daichi called from the kitchen. "Sumi''s home alone all day, she's not going to care if she knocks them down."

Shouyou pouted. "Fine, I've got better towers in my room _anyways_."

He dragged Kuroo down the hall again, and Kuroo was surprised to see the dog following. He figured she'd go for Daichi, since he was _obviously_ making something in the kitchen. "Sumi likes to chew on my toys, but that's okay because I'm good at sharing."

"Aren't some of these dog toys too?" Kuroo asked, peering at the toys overflowing from the bedroom.

Shouyou nodded. "Sumi's good at sharing too! I thought she'd bite like Papa's dog, but she's so nice!"

This is the first time Kuroo heard even a _mention_ of Shouyou's parents, and he bit his lip to stop himself from asking about them. Not only was it inappropriate for him to, it could potentially bring up bad memories for Shouyou. There had to be a good reason he never mentioned them until now.

Shouyou, meanwhile, had started digging in the large pile of toys. "Here!" He held out a (rather battered) action figure. "You get to be Mumen Rider again!"

Kuroo laughed and took the toy, smiling at Shouyou. "Of course."

Kuroo plays with Shouyou for some time, Sumi trying (and failing) to be his lap dog. She settled down after a while and was content to watch them play, but soon enough demanded attention. Shouyou decided that it would be wise for them to take a "dog break" and proceeded to scratch the back of Sumi's ears until her tail was thumping faster than a heartbeat. Kuroo, meanwhile, was happy to rub her belly and awe at the fact that a dog _liked_ him. He was firmly a cat person, but Sumi was quickly showing him that dogs were worth having as pets too.

"You'll never take me alive!" Shouyou said, trying to imitate a harsh growl and sounding instead like he had a sore throat. His toy swung its fake sword wildly, and Shouyou made a growling sound. "I'd rather die than be taken away!"

"Give up, your reign of terror ends here!" Kuroo said in a high pitched voice, making his toy character hit Shouyou's.

Shouyou squawked and pretended like he was wounded. "I won't lose here!"

His toy tried to hit Kuroo's but missed, and Shouyou nearly screamed when his was hit. "You win this round!!"

"Justice always prevails," Kuroo said, resisting the urge to giggle at Shouyou's pout.

"You're too good at this game, Kuroo-sensei! Lets play one more time."

"Sure, Shouyou-kun." Kuroo wished he could take a picture of Shouyou's face, he looked equal parts grumpy and concentrated.

"Sorry to interrupt," Daichi said suddenly, and Kuroo realized that the other had opened the half-closed bedroom door. "But dinner is ready so its time to wash your hands, Shou-kun."

"Kuroo-sensei too!" Shouyou said, but got up anyways.

Kuroo was thankful that Shouyou didn't drag him down the hall again, and followed him into the bathroom. Shouyou tried his best to reach the dials on the sink by himself, but he was just too short. He struggled for a few minutes before looking pleadingly at Kuroo, and Kuroo resisted the urge to sigh as he hoisted Shouyou up so he could wash his hands. Afterwards, he washed his own and tried to think of the most polite way to suggest Daichi get a stool for Shouyou. He was surprised he didn't have one _already_ , considering the large amount of toys in the house. Then again, Daichi was still new to this "guardian" thing so he probably didn't think of it.

"Hurry up, Kuroo-sensei!"

Several minutes later, Kuroo said his thanks at a low table in front of Daichi and Shouyou, and quietly dug in as Shouyou chattered to Daichi.

"Today I made Tobio cry!" Shouyou said proudly, making Daichi choke on his rice. "I drew on his face when he was napping! He was _so_ mad."

Daichi took a drink of water and then looked at Kuroo, who put up his hands in a placating manner. "He didn't make him cry a _lot_ , and Tobio-kun forgave him pretty quickly. Plus, his mom wasn't too mad when she found out. These two squabble a lot."

Shouyou nodded, a bright smile on his face. "We're rivals!"

"You're a bit too young to have a rival," Daichi said dryly.

"Nope! Tobio didn't want to be my friend, so he's my rival instead."

Kuroo resisted the urge to giggle, and noticed Daichi look confused. "I don't understand, but okay."

"We're rivals," Shouyou repeated with a satisfied smile, and he beamed when Kuroo muffled his laughter.

"... How is the food?" Daichi asked after a moment of silence, and Kuroo blinked when he realized the question was aimed at him.

"Really good," He answered honestly. "Its the best food I've had in a long time."

"That's great," Daichi said, looking pleased.

Shouyou nodded in support of his brother, though he was starting to look rather drowsy. Kuroo assumed he was crashing from his sugar high earlier. Shouyou put on a brave face, however, and tried to stay awake throughout dinner. Eventually, though, he ended up nodding off into his bowl of rice, and Kuroo snickered when he mumbled something about pork after Daichi asked him if he was asleep.

Daichi sighed. "At least he didn't fall asleep in the soup this time."

"I'm not surprised that happened," Kuroo said, putting his chopsticks down. "That was amazing, thank you again."

"Its nothing, really." Daichi said, grabbing plates. Kuroo noticed his ears were red.

Kuroo was about to offer to wash the dishes, but he noticed Shouyou still snoozing in his rice. "I'll take him to the bedroom, if you want."

"Ah, could you? He's a light sleeper, though."

"I know," Kuroo said as he gently lifted the child up. "He's hell during nap time."

Kuroo heard Daichi snort, and he suppressed a smile. Kuroo carried Shouyou out of the bedroom and started down the hall and remembered something. Teeth.

Several minutes later, Kuroo moved up a grumpy Shouyou (who was _not_ happy about being woken up to brush his teeth) to a futon and pulled up the covers. "Not yet," Shouyou mumbles, eyes closed and frowning. "I wanna play more."

Kuroo laughed softly. "You can play more tomorrow, Shouyou-kun."

"Nooo."

"Yesss. Don't give your brother a hard time, silly."

Shouyou sighed, and snuggled further into his pillow. " _Fine_. G'night."

"Night, Shouyou-kun."

Kuroo tiptoed out of the room and down the hall, unsurprised to see the living room empty. He wandered into the kitchen and saw that Daichi was halfway through dishes, and took a moment to stare at the other's arms. "I made Shouyou-kun brush his teeth too. Hope you don't mind."

Daichi jumped, and nearly dropped the plate he was holding. "Shit, you scared me. That's fine."

Kuroo hummed in response, and continued speaking after a moment. "Need help?"

"I'm almost done, thank you though."

Left with nothing else to say, Kuroo went back into the living room where the dog was sleeping. She woke up the instant he started petting her again, and huffed slightly when Kuroo wouldn't pet her stomach.

Sumi's tail thumped when he gave in and pet her stomach, and Kuroo idly contemplated getting a dog. Then he remembered that he had not one but _three_ cats, and quickly rethought that idea.

After a while, Kuroo wondered whether or not he should go home. He had technically come here for Shouyou, and now that the boy was asleep he had little reason to be here. Maybe Daichi was taking his time so that Kuroo could realize this and leave? Was Kuroo being impolite by staying for a while longer?

Kuroo took a deep breath and told himself to stop overthinking things. If Daichi really wanted him to leave, then he would leave. Its as simple as that.

"Are you thirsty?" Daichi asked, poking his head out of the kitchen.

Kuroo flinched at the sudden sound. "Oh, yeah."

"Do you drink?"

"Any chance I get."

Daichi laughed. "I'm not sure a _teacher_ should be admitting that."

Kuroo flushed when he realized what he'd just said. "You're probably right."

"Here," Daichi said, fully exiting the kitchen and handing Kuroo a beer. "Thanks again for looking after Shou-kun."

"That has to be the fiftieth time you've said that," Kuroo said, opening the can. "It's really no problem. Even if it wasn't my job, I'd gladly watch him."

Daichi laughed again, and Kuroo felt himself smile. "You're good at that."

"At what?"

"Watching him," Daichi put down his can and sighed. "I would have forgotten to brush his teeth at _all_ , and then Shou-kun would end up with cavities because of me."

"One night honestly doesn't hurt," Kuroo said, in what he hoped was a soothing voice.

Daichi gave him a look. "I forget most nights. He's going to lose all his teeth at this rate."

Kuroo made a placating gesture with his hand. "They're just baby teeth."

"What if he got teased for missing teeth?"

Kuroo frowned. "You worry too much, Sawamura-kun."

"I _have_ to worry," Daichi said, cheeks already turning pink. Kuroo would've never expected he was a lightweight. "He's my responsibility now, after all. I can't mess up."

"You're a great brother and guardian Sawamura-kun. Shou's doing fine, trust me."

Silence followed this statement, and Kuroo drank to fill it. He was by no means drunk, maybe tipsy at best, so saying such an honest statement had taken a lot out of him. Kuroo was unsure he'd _ever_ be able to look Daichi in the eyes again, he was so embarrassed.

Daichi, meanwhile, alternated between drinking and staring at the carpet. He sighed again, and then turned to Kuroo. "Kids should come with a manual."

That was the _last_ thing Kuroo expected him to say, and he laughed. "You act like you've never had to take care of a kid before."

"I _haven't_ ," Daichi said honestly, and Kuroo suddenly remembered how little he knew about him. "The first time I met Shou-kun was when I became his guardian."

Kuroo was silent at this information, and he took another long drink before he spoke. "Well, you take care of him awfully well considering that."

"I hope so," Daichi said with a sigh. "He warmed up to me immediately, so I should be thankful he's such an easy kid. I just don't want to mess up."

"Why hadn't you met him before?" Kuroo blurted out, curiosity eating away at him.

He cursed the moment he asked that, because Kuroo noticed Daichi clench his drink. After a moment, however, he let go of the can and averted his eyes. "Shou-kun and I are related through my dad, and I don't get along with him. I haven't even talked to him for years, and I _don't_ want to talk with him.

"I don't get along with Shou's mother either, and my mom's dead so there really wasn't a reason for me to return home. So I didn't. They got into some legal trouble, though, and now I have to take care of Shou-kun." Daichi smiled a bit. "He's the only good part about that whole situation."

Kuroo was at a complete loss for words, and he simply stared at Daichi for a bit. He had no idea that Daichi had such a complicated relationship with his family. Hell, Kuroo would have assumed Daichi was the type to return home on weekends and be a model big brother, not the ostracized child whom no one spoke of.

Daichi hadn't said that point-blank, but Kuroo was sure that was implied. Kuroo himself had no siblings, but his parents doted on him and he still called them every week. He had no idea what it was like to cut off ties with family the moment you left the house, and he honestly didn't want to know.

Sawamura Daichi was strong man. Stronger than Kuroo's initial impression of him.

"You're doing wonderfully," Kuroo finally said. "Shouyou-kun is a happy kid, and he really loves you. You're the only thing he talks about, believe me. You're not going to mess up like you think you will."

Daichi's smile turned less somber and more happy, and he finally looked at Kuroo. "I hope you're not just saying that to make me feel better."

"Oh course not," Kuroo said with a false huff. "I have a degree in education and child psychology, I wouldn't joke about that."

Daichi coughed, and Kuroo realized he was hiding a laugh. "Well, if a child expert says so, I _must_ be good at raising a child."

Kuroo nodded. "You're excellent. Keep doing what you're doing, and Shouyou-kun will turn out fine."

"Even if I forget to brush his teeth?"

" _Even_ if you forget to brush his teeth."

They both laughed at that, and Kuroo felt his whole body warm up. He still wasn't drunk, but he was definitely tipsy by now. So tipsy, in fact, that he let himself stare at Daichi for longer than might have been appropriate.

Kuroo was unashamed to admit that Daichi's arms were really distracting, but they were nothing compared to his thighs. Kuroo couldn't get a good look at them right now, but he could picture them perfectly: they fit perfectly into the fitted pants Daichi wore, and Kuroo bet they looked good even in sweats.

"You're zoning out," he heard a voice say all of a sudden, and Kuroo blinked.

Daichi was waving a hand in front of his face. "You okay? You're not drunk already, are you?"

"No, but you are." Kuroo said, laughing at the other's flushed cheeks.

"I am _not_ ," Daichi said with a huff. "I am. _Perfectly_. Sober."

He tried to take a drink to prove that, and missed his mouth by a mile. Kuroo muffled a laugh, and helped the other wipe off his cheek. "You should probably stop drinking."

Daichi stilled all of a sudden, and Kuroo realized his hand was still on his cheek. Their eyes met, and Kuroo had to avert his gaze before he got lost in them again. Daichi was just so _captivating_ , it was hard for Kuroo to focus around him. Kuroo wanted to know everything about him; he wanted to know what kind of coffee the other liked, how his his voice sounded like when he was tired, and whether or not his eyes crinkled when he laughed. Most importantly, however, Kuroo wanted to know if Daichi felt the same for him.

He moved his face closer, murmuring, "You've still got some on your cheek."

"Really? Where?" Daichi's voice was quiet now, but he still had a smile on his face. The only indication that he was nervous was the fact that Kuroo could see Daichi fiddling with his can out of the corner of his eye, but Kuroo was more concerned with what was in front of him.

Kuroo tilted Daichi's chin up, pretending to look, but this was really the perfect angle to kiss him-

A harsh sound was heard all of a sudden, and Kuroo felt both him and Daichi jump. "What was that?" Daichi asked.

Kuroo cursed under his breath. _Great_. The moment was _ruined_. What could possibly be making such an annoying, grating noise?

Oh. It was Kuroo's ringtone for Kenma. "This had better be important," Kuroo muttered as he fished for his phone, finally answering it.

"What is it Ken-"

"-Ichigo got out." Kenma sounded stoic, and Kuroo knew he was really worried. "I haven't seen him since I got back from the grocery store."

" _Shit_. I'll be there in a bit Ken, keep looking." Kenma hated whenever any of the cats got out, he always feared the worst. Once he stayed up all night watching Momo breathe because she had been outside earlier, and he worried that she had gotten injured and was trying to hide it.

Kuroo had to get home as soon as possible. He said goodbye to Kenma quickly and put his phone away before turning to face Daichi. "Sorry, I gotta go."

"What is it?"

"My roommate's cat got out. He needs me to help look for it."

Daichi nods, serious despite his drunkenness. "I understand. Once Sumi got out and me and Suga spent all night looking for her."

"Thanks, sorry to cut this short." Kuroo said as he got up. "See you some other time."

Daichi waved at Kuroo, not even trying to get up. Kuroo didn't blame him; Daichi was obviously drunk. "Bye. Good luck."

Kuroo smiled as he left, and then remembered he _still_ didn't have Daichi's number.

This night could not get any worse.

 

  
Kuroo was breathing harshly by the time he got home, exhausted by walking fast _and_ trying not to look drunk. He wasn't, but he had been swaying and the last thing he needed was to be arrested for public intoxication. The entire time Kuroo was bemoaning his missed chance to kiss Daichi. Of _course_ Ichigo had to get loose and scare Kenma to bits, and of _course_ Kenma would call Kuroo and worry him too.  
Being a cat parent was so stressful.

Kuroo finally made it to his apartment and sighed as he fished for his keys. He was praying he didnt accidentally leave them at Daichi's the moment he found them, and nearly wept for joy. "Thank god."

Kuroo unlocked the front door and heard a faint meow that sounded like Ichigo's. He turned back, careful to not fully open the door and let the other cats out, only to see Ichigo staring at him. He was in front of a window in the hall, perfectly unharmed and looking like he belonged there. "C'mere kitty."

Ichigo decided not to come to him and started grooming himself instead, and Kuroo sighed before closing the front door. He wisely locked it again and put his keys in his pocket, approaching the cat in a calm manner. He had no idea what was coming.

The moment Ichigo was within arm distance he lunged at him, and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. He yowled and went limp on instinct, and the next thing he knew Kuroo had deposited him in the apartment and locked the front door. So ends the outdoor exploration for this young cat.

"You are such a pain," Kuroo said to the cat, taking off his shoes. "I can't _believe_ you were right outside the apartment."

"What was right outside the apartment?"

"The damn _cat_ ," Kuroo said as Kenma appeared in the entrance room. "He scared both of us and just waited outside."

Kenma immediately went to pick up Ichigo, who tried to dodge to no avail. Kenma clutched the cat in his hands and started petting him, murmuring words so quietly Kuroo couldn't pick up on them.

"You're an idiot," Kenma said to Ichigo, and put him on the floor.

Ichigo disappeared into the living room the moment he could, and Kenma turned to Kuroo. "Thanks for getting him."

"He's such a handful," Kuroo said in response, and followed Kenma into the living room.

They both collapsed on opposite ends of the couch and watched Ichigo get assaulted by the other cats. Momo and Ringo took turns grooming him and meowing, and Ichigo looked unappreciative of their concern. He tried to escape, only for Ringo to sit on him as Momo cleaned his ear. Ichigo meowed in protest, but submitted to the grooming.

"Oh," Kenma said all of a sudden, and Kuroo turned to him. "How did your date go?"

Kuroo sighed heavily, and that was the only answer Kenma needed. "I was about to kiss him when you called."

"Ichigo is more important than a kiss."

"You're right, but still."

"Please tell me you got his number."

"..." Kuroo looked away from Kenma, knowing that he would only get a scowl. "Seriously?"

" _You_ try getting a guy's number in front of his little brother!" Kuroo said defensively. "I had to wait until Shouyou-kun went to bed to seriously flirt!"

"And you still don't have his number."

Kuroo had nothing to say in response to that, so he simply sighed and sunk further into the cushions.

"... You're a very sad person." Kenma said after a moment. "At least to schedule a proper date."

"Yeah, yeah." Kuroo reached for something in the couch cushions, and he pulled out a carton of cigarettes. "I'm gonna go smoke."

Kenma nodded. "... _Why_ do you leave your cigarettes in the couch?"

"Dramatic effect."

 

  
Kuroo arrived to work early the next day, thankfully not hungover. He was eager to see Daichi, and hoped it would be him and not Sugawara dropping off Shouyou. Kuroo sat patiently next to Yaku, waiting to see a familiar flash of orange that signaled Shouyou's appearance.

"You look eager," Yaku noted, and Kuroo realized he was bouncing his leg. "Waiting for someone?"

"Aren't I always?" Kuroo said in response, trying to act as nonchalant as possible.

Yaku snorted. "Well, prepare to be disappointed. I just spotted Sugawara-san."

Kuroo cursed quietly, and glared at Yaku's smirk. He saw Sugawara after a moment as well, and nearly winced when he saw Shouyou skipping next to the light-haired man. "There goes my plan."

Yaku shot Kuroo a confused look but didn't get the time to ask what he meant, as the pair soon approached them. "Kuroo-sensei!"

"Hi Shouyou-kun," Kuroo smiled at him and Sugawara. "No brother today?"

"Daichi had to go to work early," Sugawara said in response. "Don't worry though, he'll be picking up Shouyou. I've got a meeting to go to."

Kuroo resisted the urge to hug Sugawara, and instead thanked him with a smile. "That's great, I need to talk to him about something anyways."

Sugawara seemed surprised by his smile, and returned it after a second. "I should get going-"

"-Wait!" Yaku said all of a sudden, and both Kuroo and Sugawara turned to face him. "Uh, Sugawara-san, I need to talk to you about something for a moment?"

"Oh?" Sugawara seemed curious, and Kuroo slunk away to watch the kids so the two could talk privately.

There was only a handful of children in the play area at the moment, so he mostly spent his time observing Yaku and Sugawara talk. They took their time, despite the fact that Sugawara seemed in a hurry, and this only made Kuroo's desire to pry stronger. He raised his eyebrow's when he saw Yaku blush, and then looked to see Sugawara smiling again. The two then (finally) said their farewells, and Yaku came to watch the playroom with Kuroo.

".. Sooo," Kuroo said after a second, when Yaku's blush didn't go away. "You like him, huh."

If anything, the shorter man's blush deepened. "I should've known you'd be watching."

"How could I _not_ ," Kuroo said gleefully. "Especially after you called him out in front of me."

Yaku glared at Kuroo. "I needed to talk to him!"

"What, were you trying to schedule a date?"

"... That's none of your business, Kuroo."

"Oh, you _did_ ," Kuroo smiled wide. "How did that go?"

"He's busy," Yaku said with a sigh. "He's got a book to finish."

"Poor you," Kuroo said, voice layered with pity. "You just got rejected."

"I did _not_ ," Yaku said with a huff. "He said he'd call me after he finished his book."

"That's what they all say."

"Why don't you stop butting into my love life and fix your own, huh?" Yaku said sharply. "You still don't even have Sawamura-san's number."

"H-how did you know that?"

"I have my sources," Yaku said mysteriously, and Kuroo remembered how much of a gossiper Kenma was.

God _damn_ it.

Kuroo's day passed in a blur, as per usual, but he felt himself slow down when the parents started coming to pick up their kids. He lingered in the play area, though, not quite ready to go home. There were plenty of workers that could stay behind, instead of him, but he needed to catch Daichi. Kuroo wanted to resolve their almost-kiss before it got out of hand.

Then again, Daichi had been drunk. He may not even remember the kiss. Kuroo frowned when he realized this, and he felt something tug on his apron all of a sudden.

"Don't be sad," Shouyou said all of a sudden, "Smile and be happy!"

He then grinned wide, as if to inspire Kuroo to do so, and the older man felt his lips quirk up. Kuroo pat the top of Shouyou's head and noticed the room was quickly emptying out. Soon they were the only one's there again, and he could see the sun rapidly falling. Daichi was late again.

Fortunately, Kuroo was used to this, so he wasn't irritated like he was the first time he had met the other man. He sat in his spot near the window, in perfect view of both the pile of toys Shouyou had assembled and the doorway. All he had to do now was wait.

Kuroo rehearsed lines in his head to pass the time, trying to find the perfect way to get Daichi's number out of him. He sighed when he realized all of them sounded incredibly _corny_ and ridiculous, and then decided the best way to ask was the most simple. He would simply say, "Hey, by the way, can I have your number?"

Kuroo was certain that would work out. Either that or he would be rejected completely, in which case all Kuroo would have to deal with was a broken heart. He crossed his fingers that wouldn't happen, an action that didn't go ignored by the other occupant in the room.

"Why are you doing that with your fingers?" Shouyou asked, startling Kuroo out of his daydreams.

"I'm crossing my fingers for luck," Kuroo said simply, noticing Shouyou still looked confused.

"What do you need luck for?"

"I'm going to ask your brother for his number," Kuroo said proudly.

Shouyou was still puzzled. "Why? I can tell you Dai-nii's number. Its 81-3-***-****."

Kuroo looked horrified as Shouyou rattled off the phone number, and he put a hand over his face. "No no no, I need to ask _him_ for his number."

Shouyou frowned. "Why?"

"It's different. You'll understand when you're older."

Shouyou's frown deepened to a pout, and Kuroo was scrambling for something to cheer up the boy when he heard someone approach the door. "Sorry I'm late."

"Dai-nii!" Shouyou abandoned his pile of toys and ran at the doorway, giggling when Daichi caught him in a hug. "You're here!"

Daichi laughed, and picked up Shouyou. He turned to Kuroo and smiled, and Kuroo felt his heart speed up. He tried to smile back, but Shouyou's talking interrupted him. "Kuroo-sensei was acting funny! He started smiling and said he was gonna ask for your phone number Dai-nii! Then he got grumpy when I told him."

Kuroo felt his heart stop, and realized this was the worst thing that could have happened. Of _course_ Shouyou would tell Daichi immediately. He couldn't have stayed quiet a few minutes longer so Kuroo could ask? His entire plan was ruined.

Daichi's face, surprisingly, turned as red as Kuroo's. He glanced at the other man, who was in a state of shock, and then adjusted Shouyou so he was propped against his hip. "Do you still want my number?"  
"W-what?"

"I _said_ I already gave Kuroo-sensei your number, Dai-nii!"

"Its different when I give it to him."

"That's the same thing Kuroo-sensei said," Shouyou sighed deeply. "I don't get grown ups."

"You don't need to," Daichi said, smiling at his brother. "Plus, I don't have Kuroo-sensei's number."

Kuroo was at a complete and utter loss. Daichi was asking for his number?

"Why don't you come over so we can exchange numbers," Daichi suggested, face still red and avoiding Kuroo's gaze. "We didn't get to finish talking last night, anyways."

"I would _love_ to," Kuroo said immediately, standing up from his place near the window.

He willed his heart to calm down as Daichi checked out Shouyou and felt relatively calm as he clocked out. Daichi had mercifully decided to wait outside the daycare, so Kuroo was the only one that heard the other employees snicker as he ran out the building.

"You took so _long_ , Kuroo-sensei." Shouyou said exasperatedly, squealing when Daichi pinched his cheek.

Kuroo felt himself smile. "Sorry, I got a bit tied up because I had to clean up your toys."

"Shou-kun," Daichi stared at the child, who gulped. "Next time, you need to clean up."

"Y-yes! I will!!"

"Good," Daichi's hand slipped into Kuroo's, and he coughed. "So you don't get lost."

Kuroo resisted the urge to giggle, and held on tightly. "Of course."

"Let's go home."

**Author's Note:**

> I kept reading shoujo manga in between writing sessions, and I think it shows.  
> Please let me know if there's anything wrong with my formatting! I had some issues posting it


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